Faith, Disability, and the Power of Empathy with Desiree Taylor - Episode 112

In this episode of The Inclusive Dad Podcast, host AAron sits down with Desiree Taylor, a deaf author, advocate, and mom, to discuss her personal journey with hearing loss and raising a child with the same condition. Desiree opens up about navigating an inaccessible education system, embracing her identity, and transitioning from legalism to a personal relationship with Jesus. The conversation explores the emotional layers of inclusion, faith, and self-advocacy—and how empathy can be a bridge to belonging. From cochlear implants to the church pew, this episode is a powerful reminder that intentional inclusion begins with understanding and connection.

Key Takeaways:

Early Misplacement – Desiree was placed in the wrong educational setting due to lack of disability awareness.

Self-Advocacy Skills – She learned to lip-read on her own and later advocated for herself and her son.

Intentional Inclusion – True inclusion is meeting individual needs, not fitting people into a system.

Faith Redefined – She shifted from legalism to grace-filled relationship with God through her disability journey.

Power of Empathy – Empathy and awareness are foundational to creating inclusive environments.

Desiree’s definition of inclusion:

Inclusion is an intentional willingness to accommodate and meet the needs of a person with disability even if it doesn't look like everyone else so that they can be a part of what's going on.

Desiree’s  Bio:

My name is Desiree Taylor. I have been married to my husband, Duane, for twenty-eight years. We have two grown sons, Kyle and David. I am an author and writer. My first book, Created to Relate: Living Beyond Religion, was published this past August. This book shares my journey of breaking through legalism and religion to live a life of authentic relationship with Jesus. I am a speaker, and I love connecting with women through sharing all the different parts of my story. I was a part of the Women’s Retreats at Camp Berea in New Hampshire this past year and will be back again this year. I have spoken at a few Women’s events at Christian Hill Community Church, the church I call my home. I enjoy being a guest on several different Apple, Spotify, and YouTube podcasts.

My husband serves as an Elder at our church, and I love serving the women in this beautiful body of Christ. My heart especially loves and has a special place for our 20 -30-year-old ladies. I am deeply invested in mentoring and discipleship. God has created us for a relationship with Him and one another, and He has given us each other to grow with together.

I am deaf with bilateral cochlear implants. I have sensorineural hearing loss, and it is progressive. I got my first hearing aid at age nine and have progressed to complete deafness since then. After much prayer and consideration, I made the personal choice to have the cochlear implant surgery, and it has been the best decision for me. I love connecting with others with different disabilities, and I am a passionate and powerful advocate for them.

Connect with Desiree:

Website: https://www.arenewedcreation.com/

Substack:  https://substack.com/@arenewedcreation

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/desrenewed/

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/desiree-taylor-536827199/

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